Tagged: Jerry Dipoto

A few thoughts came to mind this weekend, some obvious and some not so obvious. As for the obvious, the new year has arrived and spring training is right around the corner. In the not-so-obvious column, we’re now closer to Opening Day 2016 than we are to the end of last season. With those things in mind, The Hot Stove show returns tonight from the 710 ESPN Radio studios from 7-9 pm.

Mariners broadcasters Rick Rizzs,Mike Blowers & Shannon Drayer will co-host the evenings show and will be joined by Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto, Mariners bench coach Tim Bogar, and Larry Stone from the Seattle Times.

With the Hall of Fame results being announced tomorrow, there will be plenty of talk about Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, as well as about the upcoming season.

Be sure to tune in on the radio on 710 ESPN Seattle and online at MyNorthwest.com.

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Now that the Winter Meetings are over, we can look back at the week that was (trades, signings and other news) as well as talk about what is in store for the club in the coming weeks and months.

With that in mind, The Hot Stove show debuts tonight with a live remote broadcast from the Southcenter Mariners Team Store.

Mariners broadcasters Rick Rizzs,Mike Blowers & Shannon Drayer will co-host the event and will be joined live by Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto from 7 to 8 pm. Mariners Manager Scott Servais and FOX Sports’ Rob Neyer will join by phone during the second hour of the show.

Be sure to tune in on the radio on 710 ESPN Seattle, online at MyNorthwest.com or stop by the team store to watch and listen in person.

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Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto completed his ninth trade of the off-season, acquiring Adam Lind from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a trio of teenage minor league right-handed pitchers. Lind brings power (32 doubles, 20 home runs) and on-base percentage (.360). You can see full details below in the blog, but Jerry’s thoughts on why he fits for our club were clear. “Adam lengthens our line-up as a first baseman who gives us on-base percentage and power. First base was a spot we came here looking to fill, and we feel that Adam is a good fit for us.”

MAKING THE ROUNDS

Mariners Manager Scott Servais made media rounds at the Winter Meetings today, including interviews with MLB Network, MLB Network Radio and ESPN. He also met with our local beat writers, national and international writers for a 30 minute session.

Q. You’ve had a lot of turnover here in short order. What’s the biggest challenge with that many new faces and a new face of your own?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Well, they’re all new to me, that’s the first thing. Obviously, there’s been a ton of turnover in our roster. Change was coming. We talked about it early on, wanted to get a different look to our team. That’s what we focused on. Obviously, Jerry has done an awesome job trying to go out and acquire players that fit the mold he’s looking for. On the tough side, we’ve given up some very good players, guys that are going to go on and have very successful careers, and it may come back and hurt us at times. To get good players, you’ve got to give up good players. We’ve been aggressive. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to make trades. But we’re getting after it, and I don’t think Jerry is going to slow down any time soon.

Q. Scott, you mentioned the new guys. But how much contact have you had with the guys that are coming back, especially that core group of guys, Felix and Cano and Seager?

SCOTT SERVAIS: Quite a bit of contact. I’ve talked to 10 to 12 players face to face, many more on the phone, trying to get a feel — let them get a feel for me, first of all, and kind of what I’m like. More importantly, listening to them and where they’re at. Everybody is at a different point in their career, and I feel it’s important where I’m at to listen to them. That includes Mike Zunino, as well, who we consider a high end prospect who’s going to have a very successful major league career. I’ve spent a lot of time. I’ve been in Dominican talking to Nelly, I’ve talked to Robbie, Ketel Marte down there. I met with Felix and Walker. I talked to a lot of guys. I learned a lot about where they’re at, and I think they’ve learned a lot on where they’re going to go.

Q. Scott, it seems like the way managers are hired these days, it’s different from in the past. It used to be you spend a lot of time in the minors as a manager or maybe several years as a bench coach. We’ve seen more managers without previous experience get hired. As somebody who has spent time in the front office as well, why do you think this has changed?

SCOTT SERVAIS: I spent plenty of time in the minors. I don’t know if you’re aware, but that’s where I’ve been the last ten years. I have not managed in the minor leagues. I have not been a bench coach in the big leagues. And I’m not the first. Lucky for me, there’s been many guys, and I could go through the list, talking to them earlier today. Mike Matheny and Brad Ausmus, guys with different paths. Mine may be more what A.J. Hinch has gone through, just coming from the front office. I think there’s tremendous value in understanding of how to put teams together and how front offices look at that. I will use that to my benefit. The one thing I’ve not done is I have not managed a major league team, but I’ve managed people. I think, when you look at the game and how the game’s evolved, it is about managing people and creating an environment that they feel good about coming to work every day and a certain culture along with that. That’s what I think I can bring to the Mariners. Again, it’s about the players and putting them in a position to win. So, again, it’s been a different path, I’ve said it all along, that I’ve taken to get here. I feel fortunate, and I’m really excited about getting started.

For the fourth consecutive year, Major League Baseball, MLB Advanced Media, MLB Network and the 30 Clubs have organized a Winter Meetings charity auction that includes once-in-a-lifetime baseball experiences and unique items to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. This initiative, which has raised nearly $500,000 since its inception, was inspired by the numerous employees, friends and fans of the game who have been affected by cancer. A significant portion of the proceeds will go to Stand Up To Cancer, a longtime partner of Major League Baseball, its founding donor in 2008. In addition, this year’s auction will benefit Do It For Durrett, in honor of the late Texas Rangers ESPN.com beatwriter Richard Durrett, who passed away suddenly last year, and the YouCaring page established for Miami Marlins Sun Sentinel beatwriter Juan C. Rodriguez, who is currently battling a brain tumor. The auction is live on MLB.com until Thursday, December 10th at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

As he does each day at the Winter Meetings, Jerry Dipoto met with our travelling beat media this afternoon. In addition to laying out his thoughts on the Lind acquisition, Jerry talked about the position player group, mentioned his thoughts on bullpen construction, and walked through the improvements we’ve made in our line-up, specifically in our ability to get on base. Jerry also talked through the strategy of trying to get ahead of the market here by making moves early in the, rather than waiting until players we were interested had been bid up in the Winter Meetings frenzy.

Jerry’s daily session with travelling media.

TOMORROW’S RULE 5 PRIMER

Every year, Major League Baseball holds two player drafts. Most fans are familiar with and have a basic understanding of the First-Year Player Draft, which occurs each June and deals with amateur players in the United States and Puerto Rico. But the Rule 5 Draft, which takes place in December and concerns professional players, is often confusing. This factsheet aspires to clear up how the Rule 5 Draft works.

A team that selects a player in the Rule 5 Draft pays $50,000 to the team from which he was selected. The receiving team must then keep the player on the Major League 25-man roster for the entirety of the next season, and the selected player must remain active (not on the disabled list) for a minimum of 90 days. If the player does not remain on the Major League roster, he is offered back to the team he was selected from for $25,000. If his original team declines, the receiving team may waive the player.

Once a player is selected, he is automatically assigned to his new organization’s 40-man roster.

Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played in pro ball for five years. All players on a Major League Baseball team’s 40-man roster, regardless of other eligibility factors, are “protected” and ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

Teams draft in reverse-order of the regular season standings. Any team that does not have any vacancies on its 40-man roster may not make a selection.

There are also Triple-A and Double-A phases to the Rule 5 Draft. Players put on the Triple-A reserve list cost the selecting team $12,000, and players put on the Double-A reserve list cost the selecting team $4,000.

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“Wade provides stability to our rotation,” Dipoto said. “He takes his starts. We’re raising the floor. One way of the other, you’re going to have to throw 1,450 innings in a season and, hey, they have to come from somewhere.”

Dipoto continues to work to improve the club and checked in with MLB Network, MLB Network Radio and of course our local beat crew from the Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune and Mariners.com.

One thing we’ve learned about Jerry in the short time he’s been the Mariners GM, you never know when the next roster move is coming. Keep watching MLB Network, reading reports from your favorite media members and checking back on this blog for the latest news about the Mariners roster.

It has been a busy time for the Mariners baseball operations department during the last few weeks, as the group has been putting its team together not just on the field, but in the front office. As ESPN’s Jayson Stark noted on twitter, “Jerry Dipoto is the early leader for most hyperactive GM. Already two trades involving nine players, one signing (Gutierrez) and two waiver claims!”

General Manager Jerry Dipoto, VP & Assistant G.M. Jeff Kingston, VP of Player Personnel Tom Allison & Special Assistant to the G.M. Joe Bohringer were in Boca Raton, FL for the G.M. meetings during the early part of this week and at the conclusion of those sessions, they made a trip to the Dominican Republic.

Dipoto, Kingston, Allison and Bohringer were joined at the Mariners Dominican Baseball Academy by Manager Scott Servais and Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz. The group will be there through the weekend checking in with the staff and players and watching games during the instructional league at the academy before they return home to Seattle.

Edgar Martinez, Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and Tim Bogar will be a part of Scott Servais’ coaching staff.

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto & Manager Scott Servais announced today the following Major League coaching staff assignments:

Tim Bogar – Bench Coach

Edgar Martinez – Hitting Coach

Mel Stottlemyre Jr. – Pitching Coach

Chris Woodward – First Base Coach

Bogar, 48 (will turn 49 on Oct. 28), spent the 2015 season as the Los Angeles Angels Special Assistant to the General Manager. Prior to joining the Angels, he spent the 2014 season on the Texas Rangers coaching staff as bench coach and interim manager (replaced Ron Washington on Sept. 5, 2014). During his time as Rangers manager, he guided the club to a 14-8 mark. From 2009-12, he spent four seasons on the Major League staff for the Boston Red Sox, serving as bench coach (2012), third base coach (2010-11) and first base coach (2009). He spent the 2008 season as the quality assurance coach for the A.L. champion Tampa Bay Rays. Bogar owns a 362-266 (.576) career record as a minor league manager in the Indians (2006-07), Astros (2004-05) and Angels (2013) organizations. In his five seasons at the helm, his teams reached their league’s championship round four times, while he was named manager of the year three times. Bogar played shortstop primarily during a nine-year Major League career with the New York-NL (1993-96), Houston (1997-2000) and Los Angeles-NL (2001). He was originally selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 1987 June draft out of Eastern Illinois University.

Martinez, 52, returns to the Mariners coaching staff after being named hitting coach on June 21, 2015. After taking over as hitting coach, the Mariners ranked 3rd in the American League in slugging percentage (.437) and 4th in home runs (130), extra-base hits (305) and OPS (.758) over the final 94 games of the season, batting .260 (846×3255) with 426 runs scored, 165 doubles, 10 triples, 130 home runs and 408 RBI. He has spent the past several seasons working as a guest hitting instructor at Spring Training, and had an extended schedule during the first half of the 2015 season working in Seattle’s minor league system. Martinez had an 18-year Major League career, all with the Mariners. In 2,055 career games, he hit .312 (2247×7213) with 1,219 runs scored, 514 doubles, 15 triples, 309 home runs and 1,261 RBI. Martinez won two AL Batting Titles (1992 & 1995), three AL On-Base Percentage Titles (1995, 1998 and 1999), five Silver Sluggers® (1992, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003 and five DH of the Year Awards (1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 & 2001). Upon his retirement, Major League Baseball re-named the DH of the Year Award the Edgar Martinez Award. Martinez was enshrined in the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2007. He was the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2004.

Stottlemyre Jr., 51, has spent the past 13 years in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, most recently as its bullpen coach (2014-15) following stints as its minor league pitching coordinator (2011-13), Major League pitching coach (2009-10), minor league pitching coordinator (2007-09), and minor league pitching coach with affiliates in Missoula (2005-06), El Paso (2004), Lancaster (2003) and Yakima (2002). The Yakima native began his coaching career as the pitching coach with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2001. He pitched in six minor league seasons in the Houston (1985-1987) and Kansas City (1987-1990) organizations, combining to go 25-24 with a 3.50 ERA (162 ER, 416.2 IP) with 24 saves in 122 appearances including 57 starts. He pitched briefly in the Majors with Kansas City, going 0-1 with a 4.88 ERA (17 ER, 31.1 IP) in 13 games including 2 starts in 1990. He was originally selected by Houston in the first round of the 1985 January Draft and was previously drafted by Seattle in the 28th round of the 1982 June Draft but did not sign.

Woodward, 39, spent the last two seasons as a coach on the Mariners staff, including last season as first base coach. He began his coaching career with the Mariners in 20013 as the Minor League Infield Coordinator after retiring from a 17-year professional baseball career. With the Mariners last season he played a key role in the growth of infielders Ketel Marte and Chris Taylor as they elevated to the Major League level, and worked closely with Gold Glove third baseman Kyle Seager and shortstop Brad Miller. Woodward played nearly every position on the diamond during his 12 seasons at the Major League level with the Toronto Blue Jays (1999-2004, 2011), New York Mets (2005-06), Atlanta Braves (2007), Seattle Mariners (2009, 2010) and the Boston Red Sox (2009).

Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto announced today that Lloyd McClendon and several of his coaches will not be returning for the 2016 season. (The news release announcing the changes is here.)

In a conference call with reporters this morning, Dipoto called it “a difficult decision-making day for the Mariners.”

Dipoto said that he respects and admires McClendon, especially for keeping the team playing hard until the end of the season, but after the better part of two weeks getting to know Lloyd and the coaches, Dipoto felt that it wasn’t a good match.

“I visited with him frequently over the course of the final week of the season, we had breakfast in the mornings, we talked baseball, we had a sit-down anywhere from an hour to two hours every other day, and then just general chatter at the ballpark. I learned that I like Lloyd a great deal. He’s a good guy, he’s very easy to spend time with, to talk to. But at the end of the day this was an opportunity to come into an organization and create a vision and I feel like this is the best way to do that.”

Dipoto plans to start the search for the new manager right away.

“I’d like to find an energetic positive influence in the clubhouse that I think will make a difference here. That starts today. I can’t put a final date on when we’ll conclude, but I do believe we’ll get the right character.”

When asked what qualities he’s looking for, Dipoto replied, “Energy, positive interaction with players, a good baseball background, a teacher, someone who can create a plan and lead people. In many ways in today’s game the manager’s position has become as much about creating an environment as it is about x’s and o’s.”

Dipoto is known as an analytics guy. But his ideal candidate for manager doesn’t necessarily have to be a member of SABR, “Just that they’re open-minded and receptive to different ideas. I like everyone to use information in a positive way. Critical thinking and decision-making is important and you can’t make those decisions without the information.”

But he conceded that analytics alone aren’t enough.

“Through the course of a baseball game, it is not all about the data you’re provided. It is not all about what you’re seeing with your eyes. It’s somewhere right in between. A prerequisite is going to be to find someone who has the ability to balance those two things in an effective way.”

Dipoto also announced this morning that Edgar Martinez has been invited to return as hitting coach next season.

“We didn’t have a relationship, but I played with Edgar many years ago in Puerto Rico, so I knew of the way he carries himself in the clubhouse. And sitting with him this week and listening to him talk about the players, listening to him breakdown hitting, and clearly how invested he was in making the players better really excited me. I’m very excited about the opportunity to bring him back as I think he is. This is where he wants to be.”

He also invited infield coach Chris Woodward to return.

“He has the type of passion and energy that I’m looking for and we will value in building the staff moving forward. And I felt like with Chris Woodward, we were watching a real impact coach. It’s hard in the Big Leagues to step in and make an impact early in your coaching career as a young guy, like Chris did, and I admire it. With guys like Robinson Canó and Kyle Seager and Chris Taylor and Brad Miller, Ketel Marte, he made an impact on both young and veteran players. They respect him and I really like his energy, so I felt like he was a very good fit moving forward.”